Manage the wedding whirlwind

The average Australian wedding costs $36,000. According to a Moneysmart survey, 82% of couples dipped into their savings to pay for their wedding. Another 60% got a loan and 18% used their credit card.

Common wedding costs include:

venue

food and alcohol

ceremony and rings

photography

entertainment

clothing and accessories

flowers

cars, hair, makeup

To stay on top of costs:

Decide what you can comfortably afford to spend and stick to it.

Break down the costs and work out what you need to spend on each item. Then ask yourself: do I need it? Will it make a difference to the day?

Do your research and shop around for a better deal — always negotiate.

Check if you can DIY or get a friend to help. Often there's a huge mark-up on anything to do with a wedding, especially flowers, photographers and catering.

Check online stores. For things like furniture and glassware, you may be better off buying rather than renting, and then on-selling afterwards.

The more you pay up-front, the less likely it is that you'll get into debt.

Save for your big day

Once you've got an idea of how much you can afford to spend on your wedding, work out how much you'll need to save to pay for it.

The sooner you start and the more you save, the less likely you'll get into debt.

Work out how you'll pay for things

If the two of you have different saving and spending habits, or earn different incomes, work out how to manage your money. Decide whether you want a joint bank account, separate accounts, or both.

Getting a joint bank account can make it easier to share your money and pay bills. However, you're both responsible for making sure your expenses are covered.

Some people have separate bank accounts rather than a joint account. Then they work out who is responsible for different bills and payments. Or they transfer a set amount each payday into a joint account to cover shared bills.

Every couple is different, so talk to each other about what you think will work best for you.